Kellie Thiessen, RM, RN, PhD

Research summary

My program of research focuses on health services, specifically health workforce planning. I have been involved globally, nationally and locally to support the sustainability of midwifery health service delivery in rural, remote and urban communities. My early work generated original evidence from a midwifery-led research program that did not exist in the province of Manitoba. I have garnered large teams across the country and have been recognized for my work in health workforce. 

My research program has generated evidence and brought Manitoba up to speed with other provinces regarding maternity outcome studies as well as cost-effectiveness studies and others. The work from my early studies is now recognized at a provincial level and has practical applications in health workforce planning locally, nationally and globally.

Research affiliations 

Affiliated researcher/investigator, Women's Health Research Institute at BC Women's (WHRI)

Clinician scientist. ENRICH – Empowering next-generation researchers in perinatal and child health

Research scientist, Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba

Research affiliate, Manitoba Centre for Nursing and Health Research

Keywords

• health service delivery
• maternal and child health
• midwifery
• patient engaged research

Dr. Kellie Thiessen is a registered nurse, midwife and clinician scientist and was appointed dean of the College of Nursing in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba for a five-year term effective February 1, 2025.

Dr. Thiessen has distinguished herself as an outstanding researcher, educator and clinician and a leader in her field. She is an associate professor in the College of Nursing, has served as the associate dean undergrad and led the development and implementation of the Bachelor of Midwifery Program, then served as the inaugural director of the Bachelor of Midwifery program in the College of Nursing. She also served as the director of midwifery for UBC prior to her appointment as dean of the College of Nursing. She has worked as a clinician and educator in the roles of nursing and midwifery in the United States, Brazilian and Canadian health care systems.

She is a researcher with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM) and actively involved in leadership roles in a national training platform for clinician scientists, Empowering Next-Generation Researchers in Perinatal and Child Health (ENRICH). She is well published and has received millions of dollars in research grants related to health workforce and systems work. Her ongoing work alongside Indigenous communities is grounded in relationships honoring the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. Communities lead this work whereby OCAP principles are honored throughout all stages of the work.

In her early career, Dr. Thiessen was nominated and selected by Georgetown University for their Young Alumni Award. Other awards include the A.C.N.M. Foundation Inc. Lang Global Leadership Award, Falconer Emerging Researcher Rh Nominated Award, University of Manitoba and the Award of Excellence-Nursing Research, Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba.

As dean of the College of Nursing, Dr. Thiessen will oversee the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs as well as the undergraduate midwifery program.

Her focus is to build healthy, cohesive teams within the college to ensure the college mandate has real-time impact in the health workforce. Her intention is to support the advancement of pedagogies and research innovation between health professions to prioritize and action shared commitments as a Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the university as it relates to social accountability, EDI, anti-racism, Indigenous health equity, interdisciplinary research and interdisciplinary health education.